SHIPPING COMPLAINT

Southland Times, Issue 19657, 6 October 1922, Page 5

SHIPPING COMPLAINT

GOODS NOT STOPPED AT BLUFF. A complaint was received by the Inveri cargill Chamber of Commerce with regard to the “stopping” of goods at Bluff and the : matter was reierred to the chairman, Mr R. M. Strang, who was authoij.-.id to interview the shipping companies. Messrs Rattray & Ltd., wrote asking i for the support of the Chamber in an en deavour to get goods stopped at Bluff. They had tried to gel rome salt ox the Kini stopped at. Bluff, but had failed. Mr T. Traynor, of Rattray A Sou, who was in attendance, said that bis firm had approached the Chamber with regard to this matter on principle. Other articles might be treated in the same manner as this consignment <f salt. Hi‘< firm had never experienced this before, and the same difficulty might arise over sugar. They could not find out who was rcqxmeible for the stopping of goods. Mr A. W. Morgan, Railway Traffic Manager, said that the stopping of cargo wai solely the shipping agents' duty, lhe Invercargill cargo v as often mixed up, and 1 the shipping companies might or may not stop cargo when asked. It th? companies could stop the cargo they did so, and' informed his Department. Mr Hoyles said that Mr Morgan’s state- ! ment was correct with regard to goods not’ consigned to Bluff. A ; 'parate bill of lading should be provided ;or goods which were intended for Bluff consignee*. Mr Royds: That would be qiiticult with oversea cargo. Mr Hoyles said that he had been successful in getting goods stopped at Bluu. Mr Morgan said that the companies wi-uld always ship goods if they could do it, but conditions were sometimes against them. The chairman said that he had had experience in the Bluff wharf, and it was not difficult for the tally clerks to pick out the goods and have them stopped. In a good clean run they could stop goods easily. Mr Traynor said that the failure to stop the salt was not uch a great question with hie firm, but he would like to Jiave some assurance that it would be safe to sell goods for stoppage at Bluff. Mr Dunlop said that the Kini salt had been transhipped from the Orari zt Wellington, and was probably mixed. That would no doubt, account for the failure to stop the cutset at Bluff. The matter was left in the hand.* of the chairman to wait upon the shipping companies.